Since the beginning of transportation, there have always been unusual vehicles and accompanying creative competitions with those vehicles. Here’s one that a lot of people probably have not seen – antique motorcycle chariot racing. In the 1920s, chariot races using motorcycles became a relatively popular sport in the U.S., parts of Europe, New Zealand, and Australia.

As you can see in the pictures, motorcycles replaced horses. Some of the races had a rider on the antique bike and some did not. For those that did not, reins were not only used to control the throttle, but also to steer the bike. Something that is kind of funny is that some charioteers dressed up in Roman-era gear.

The races peaked in the mid-30s. Although they are not very common today, there are still a limited number of these races. Here are some cool vintage pictures, and even a vintage video of antique motorcycle chariot races.